Massachusetts Institute of Technology
11.201 Gateway (Fall 2005)
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT: CASE 3
The Growth Machine and the Public Interest:
Reinventing the Anacostia Waterfront in Washington, DC.
Turn in your memo to no later than 10AM, Lecture 15. Unexcused late
submissions will be penalized, so please make any extension requests in
advance.
Context: Andy Altman has announced that he is resigning as Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation (AWC), and new leadership
has just been announced. The incoming CEO comes to the AWC as it prepares for
its next phase of development. The corporation is crossing the Anacostia River and
attempting to spur economic empowerment east of the river. The incoming CEO is
from the Washington region and knows the general landscape of the city, but is not
familiar with Anacostia. He knows neither the job skills of residents east of the river
or the physical state and potential of the neighborhoods.
The CEO recognizes that he is entering a politically charged arena. Two council
members have already tried to shape his agenda with these statements to the
press:
“Anacostia is not DC’s downtown. It doesn’t need any pretty new buildings
to attract the wealthy and price out the poor. It needs social programs for
the people who already live there. It’s time to empower, not displace.”
“The physical overhaul of near Southeast should extend east of the river.
Only with this kind of dramatic redesign can we create vibrant neighborhoods
with activity and eyes on the street. We should not sell Anacostia residents
short, leaving them behind in our city’s new construction.”
The CEO wants to address the seemingly opposing concerns of these council
members, but he does not want to offer political generalities. Instead, he wants to
offer a plan that is motivated by the substance and mechanisms of equitable
development.
The Task: Please prepare an action memo, of no more that 1,500 words,
addressed to the incoming CEO of the AWC, that proposes two specific projects for
the AWC in its next phase of development. The first project, says the CEO, should
be short-term and help build trust among the stakeholders. The second, a longterm project, might take years to complete but should achieve the larger goals of
the AWC.
In addition, prepare a press release of no more than 250 words that announces the
two projects that you have just recommended.
So the task is in two parts: an action memo and an attached draft press
release. But you should submit a single document that includes both.
In your memo, place your project recommendations within a framework of
equitable development. What does equitable development mean in the context of
Anacostia? What political and economic constraints face residents east of the river?
Are certain types of businesses or policies particularly relevant to Anacostia
residents? Who are the stakeholders involved in this development, and what
coalitions are necessary to drive AWC’s agenda?
Clearly, you have not been given the data to perform a formal market analysis or
other feasibility analyses, but try to justify your proposed projects in terms of what
you have learned about the economy and politics of DC and the Anacostia
neighborhood. As always, we will be looking for coherent arguments and
appropriate, professional attention to political perceptions—rather than technical
validity per se.
Format. Please double-space your memo and press release, and use ample
margins (at least an inch on all sides). As always, no micro-print, please: Assume a
busy reader. Use your word processing software to count the number of words in
your document, and place that number below the text, i.e. on the last page (e.g.
“Memo word count = 1,495 words” and “Press release word count = 237 words”).
As with any professional workproduct, be concise and clear, and provide an
effective summary up front. Don’t formally cite sources unless you use a direct
quote, in which case make it brief, and simply footnote the source.